The recyclable plastic bags you get at the green grocer are not biodegradable. But product life-cycle assessments, which are about to become more prominent in the marketplace, fail to consider whether those bags will break down in landfills or just end up as litter.

It used to be that “going green” meant simple recycling, reusing, and reducing. It was a series of actions, a checklist of to-dos. Complete steps 1, 2, and 3, and congratulations, you’ve gone green! With the advent of technology and development in options and resources, possibilities have come about due to more of a shift in lifestyle and mentality, going deeper than just a mere checklist. The act of going green now calls for a more comprehensive understanding of your actions and consequences of those actions. No longer the simple task of recycling, the process of becoming more green and sustainable has broadened to a shift in mentality in the choices we make for our businesses and lifestyles.